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KBHH

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City
  
Kerman, California

Frequency
  
95.3 MHz

Format
  
Regional Mexican

Broadcast area
  
Fresno Area

First air date
  
2001

ERP
  
6,000 watts

KBHH (95.3 FM) is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Kerman, California, since 2001. The station's broadcast license is held by Farmworker Educational Radio Network, Inc.

Contents

Programming

Before falling silent in 2008, KBHH broadcast a Regional Mexican music and educational programming format branded as "La Campesina 95.3 FM" as part of the Radio Campesina Network. ("Campesina" is a Spanish word meaning "peasant" or "farmworker".) Anthony Chavez, president of Farmworker Educational Radio Network, Inc., is the youngest son of American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist César Chávez.

Launch

In May 1996, Farmworker Educational Radio Network, Inc., was among the applicants to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit for a new broadcast radio station. After a settlement among the applicants was reached in January 1998, the FCC granted this permit on April 16, 1998, with a scheduled expiration date of April 16, 2001. The new station was assigned call sign "KBHH" on July 17, 1998. After construction and testing were completed in April 2001, the station was granted its broadcast license on June 18, 2001.

New management and launch 2014

Michael Nowakowski the new vice-president of the Communications Fund of the Cesar Chavez Foundation led the coalition to re launch the KBHH station in the central valley. Alongside Bill Barquin the new chief operation officer, both helped relaunch the new Radio Campesina 95.3 FM in October 2014.

Falling silent

On November 14, 2008, the station's signal went dark in response to the late-2000s recession. On December 4, 2008, the station applied to the FCC for special temporary authority to remain silent, asserting that they were "unable to operate profitably in the current economic climate". The station reported that the resumed broadcasting on November 12, 2009. This is just one day short of the one year of continuous silence that would have left the station's broadcast license subject to automatic forfeiture and cancellation.

Four days later, on November 16, 2009, KBHH again fell silent. Citing the same conditions in their December 7, 2009, request to remain silent, the station was granted authorization to remain silent on March 10, 2010, with a scheduled expiration date of September 7, 2010. The station reported to the FCC that they resumed operations "at licensed parameters" on November 10, 2010, again just two days before the one-year maximum. Two days later, on November 12, 2010, the station once again went off the air. Again citing the inability to operate profitably in their December 2, 2010, FCC filing, the station was granted authority to remain silent on September 29, 2011, with a firm expiration date of November 12, 2011. The station reported that they returned to the air on November 11, 2011, just one day shy of the losing their license.

Changes ahead

In March 2011, with the station still off the air, KBHH management applied to the FCC to relocate their broadcast transmitter southwest to the top of a nearby hill. This move would improve signal coverage in the Fresno area without increasing power output. To accommodate the move, KBHH also asked the FCC to relocate under-construction KAAX in Avenal, California from their originally permitted 95.1 MHz to 106.9 MHz to prevent interference due to short-spacing of the two tower sites. The FCC approved the plan and issued a new construction permit to make these changes on October 17, 2011, with a scheduled expiration of October 17, 2014.

Return to Fresno under new management

On Wednesday, October 1, Radio Campesina KBHH officially returned on air in Fresno. After receiving approval to relocate its transmitter site, the local KBHH station was launched. The station launched its programming with 4 days of continuous music without commercials. Radio Campesina is managed by GM Jose Diaz. Victor Gamiz, previous director of Community Outreach for the Network Headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, was relocated to lead the marketing and community relations department. KBHH returns with a fully integrated volunteer/internship programmed designed at the network in collaboration with Americorps Vista and the Corporation for National Community Service.

References

KBHH Wikipedia